Objection | SVU

Chapter 13

I froze as Rafael's words sunk in. I looked up at him with wide eyes, looking like a deer in the headlights. "Jess?" He asked softly, looking at me intently. He gently took my hands in his, and I flinched in reflex. He kept a loose grip on my hands so that if I wanted to take them away, I could. The fact that he gave me that option made me feel so much more comfortable.

"I..." I began, completely at a loss for words. Rafael's caring and loving eyes bore into mine as he said, "Jess, you can tell me. I want you to know that." I nodded and croaked, "I trust you, Rafael. I really do. It's just... When you trapped me, I had a flashback..." I trailed off. Rafael spoke up and said, "I should have never trapped you, and I'm sorry." I sighed, and Rafael rubbed my back comfortingly. "If you don't want to tell me about it, that's okay..."

I looked up at him, vulnerability present in my eyes. "I've never told anyone, Rafael."

*

I was sitting in the precinct squad room when I heard Amaro say, "Hey Mitchell, we have a case in Midtown of a reported assault. Will you come to the scene with me?" I grabbed my jacket and the rest of my things, and Nick and I went over to the scene.

As I led us into the apartment complex at the scene, I prayed that I would be able to make it through this case. I froze as I saw the victim being wheeled out on a gurney. After a few seconds, Amaro asked, "You okay, Jess?" I nodded, and we continued inside the apartment that CSU was already combing through. Nick went into the living room, and I took the bedroom. I got some officers from CSU to take samples from the bed, the sheets, and other things. As Amaro and I met back together, he said, "Well, now we'll see if we can get a DNA match from the stuff we picked up. Liv and Rollins are heading to the hospital with the vic now."

As Amaro and I drove back to the precinct, Liv called me. I answered and said, "Hey, how's the vic?" Liv replied, "She's awake and she just gave us her statement. She believes she knows who assaulted her." I froze as Nick listened intently. Liv said, "His name is Edward Thompson."

We all met back at the precinct, and we pieced together the evidence. The vic was coming in to do an interview, and we had secured a warrant from Barba to get DNA from Thompson. I was relieved when Munch sent Rollins and Liv to get the DNA, so I stayed behind with Amaro and interviewed the victim again.

Within a half an hour, Liv and Rollins were coming back to the precinct, and I saw Thompson with them. I froze and immediately looked away, and Munch must have seen me, because he asked, "Are you okay, Mitchell?" I nodded reluctantly and replied, "Y-Yeah, I'm fine..." Liv and Amaro had the interrogation with Thompson, and I stayed with the vic as we continued to establish her story.

Thompson was her sister's boyfriend, and he had followed her home to her apartment. He had taken her by surprise when she was unlocking her apartment door, and he shoved her inside the apartment. He attempted to sexually assault her, but a neighbor heard the noise and called the police. He fled the scene after that. The vic, Rachel Young, had defensive wounds, and his DNA was found in her apartment.

As Rollins went in to talk to Rachel, I left the room and took a deep breath to try and control my breathing. I calmed myself down, and Liv and Amaro came to the break area where I was. "He didn't confess, did he?" I asked, and they shook their heads, affirming my guess. I sighed, and Amaro said, "Since Rachel wasn't sexually assaulted or raped, we can't do a rape kit..." Liv said, "We'll have to look more into Thompson's history and background before we can start to build a case for the trial." I nodded, and the both of them left the break area.

I met Munch in Cragen's office, and Munch was sitting at his desk. Cragen was still on vacation, and Munch was still in charge. I closed the door behind me, and I sat down. "What's up, Mitchell?" He asked me, and I took an uneasy breath. I had to disclose.